ST. LOUIS — Ron Washington’s team trudged off the Busch Stadium field on the short end of perhaps the greatest World Series game ever.

Twice in the late innings of a crushing 10-9 Game 6 loss in 11 innings, the Rangers were within a strike of winning the franchise’s first-ever World Series title.

Now, as the Cardinals celebrated David Freese’s game-winning homer on the field, Washington felt the need to say something to his players.

“Tonight is the first time I talked to my team since Minnesota [mid-June],’’ the manager said. “I wanted to make sure they knew it was a seven-game series.’’

And Game 7 is tonight when the Rangers and Cardinals will be working with spent bullpens.

For the Rangers, the last four relievers — Neftali Feliz, the closer, Darren Oliver, Scott Feldman and Mark Lowe — were awful. In two innings they gave up six hits and five runs.

Lowe’s 3-2 pitch to Freese landed in the patch of grass beyond the center-field fence. But Feliz flushed a two-run lead in the ninth and Oliver gave up two singles to start the 10th and both runners scored.

“Those guys have done it all year,’’ Washington said of his bullpen that allowed the Cardinals to keep coming back.

Now, the pen is no longer rested like it was last night after two days off. Now, in the ultimate game in sports, Washington has to wonder what he gets when he dials the pen.

“It’s not easy to win a world championship as we found out tonight,’’ Washington said. “We had the right people in the right spot and they beat us. We will bounce back tomorrow. We have always responded and I expect us to respond [tonight].’’

If they don’t the agony of knowing how close they were to a World Series title won’t be soothed by another talk from their leader.